Activision Publishing officially announces Call of Duty: Black Ops II, offering some details on the just revealed next installment in the military shooter series, and confirming its setting in the future. There's also an interview on VentureBeat where Treyarch's Mark Lamia talks about the risks they are taking in the game's design, along with articles on revelations/spoilers from the game as well as looks at its graphics, audio, and facial modeling. Here's the announcement:

Call of DutyŽ: Black Ops II delivers the most groundbreaking and visceral Call of DutyŽ experience ever. Set in the year 2025, Call of Duty: Black Ops II propels players into global conflict featuring advanced weaponry, robotics, and drone warfare in a new Cold War scenario whose seeds are being sown in today's headlines. New graphics technology drives the stunning cinematic action of the single-player campaign's branching storylines and non-linear missions.

"Hands down, this is the most ambitious Call of Duty ever," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. "We are bringing disruptive innovation to the franchise and we are doing it on several fronts. We're pushing the boundaries technologically, graphically, and from a narrative and gameplay perspective. At the same time, we need to stay true to the epic realism, authenticity, heart pumping adrenaline, and cinematic action that so many people love and expect from a Call of Duty game. Treyarch's vision for Call of Duty: Black Ops II will redefine the Call of Duty franchise for the future--both literally and figuratively."

"With Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the team is crafting an experience that Call of Duty fans have never seen before," said Mark Lamia, Studio Head for Treyarch. "We are challenging assumptions on every front, with the single player campaign, Zombies and multiplayer. In the campaign, we are creating a thought-provoking story that introduces branching storylines and meaningful choices that impact the narrative. Running in the multiplayer engine for the first time, Zombies gives players a bigger and more diverse set of gameplay experiences, as well as entirely new ways to wage war with the undead. And in multiplayer, we're embracing all skill levels and play styles to give players more ways to engage. With Call of Duty: Black Ops II, we're all in and we won't rest until we've launched nothing less than the best Call of Duty we've ever made."

On November 13th award-winning developer Treyarch and Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI),will deploy the sequel to the universally acclaimed Call of DutyŽ: Black Ops, which following its launch in 2010 set the record for the biggest entertainment launch in history. Call of Duty: Black Ops II has not yet been rated. For more information, visit www.callofduty.com/blackopsor follow Call of Duty: Black Ops II on www.facebook.com/codblackops and on Twitter at #BlackOps2.